Intermediate carrying cable support for cableways



g- 19, 1952 F. I. STEWART 2,607,499

INTERMEDIATE CARRYING CABLE SUPPORT EQRTQiBLEwAYS Filed July 11, 1949 2 Sl-IEETS'SI-IEET 1 ,1 Fly. 7 6' l8 2/ I I 5 I I4 /3- Fly. 2. Q

23 a r I 9 Inventor Felix I. Stewart gig/h v -M Aug. '19, 1952 v I, STEWART INTERMEDIATE CARRYING CABLE SUPPORT FOR gcgBLEwAys Filed July 11, 1949 2 Mrs-sum g Inventor Felix J. Stewart Patented Aug. 19, 1952 INTERMEDIATE CARRYING CABLE- SUPPORT FOR CABLEWAYS' Felix I. Stewart, Huntsville, Ala.

Application July 11, 1949, Serial No. 104,077 r 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to overhead cableways, and has more particular reference to an improved pendent support adapted to be suspended from upright standards at points between the ends of a cableway for supporting and preventin undue carry the load over high places with facility and ease, thereby making it possible to extend the length of the cableway without increasing the size of the carrying cable or cables.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eflicient support of the above kind which is easy to install and simple in construction.

The invention comprises a certain'improved construction hereinafter more fully" described, shown claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the present support associated with carrying cables of a cableway, with the load carriage about to ride onto the rails of the support.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view thereof, partly in elevation and partly in transverse vertical section. I

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section through one of the arched rails and the associated carrying cable, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Figure'3. I

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section of one of the supporting wheels, taken on' the line 68 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the load carrier.

Figure 8 is a front elevationalview of the carrier shown in Figure 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates an elevated main carrying or track cable which may be secured at its ends to trees or other supports, not shown, as usual. In order to carry the load over high places and to enable a track cable of any desired length to be employed,

in the accompanying drawings, and

said cable is supported at suitable intervals or places between its ends by hangers 6. Each hanger consists of an invertedsubstantially U- shaped frame composed of spaced side members 7 and a connecting top member 8, the lower end portions 9 of the side members] being inclined in I downwardly diverging relation, and being braced in this 'relationbybraces Ill. .The hanger frame is provided at the top with'an eye member II to which are secured the lower. ends. of inclined suspension ropes o'ricaib'l'es. l2 adaptedto be anchored at their upper'fends, to. trees or posts located at opposite sides ofthecableway. 'Journaled at l3 on the lower ends'of'the inclined portions 9 of the hanger, and disposedat the inner sides of said portions, arejinclined supporting wheels M for the track cable" 5. Each wheel l4 consists of'a beveled dis'k l5 haying peripheral axles l6 which are uniformly; spacedand have grooved rollers Iljournaled thereon, and which are disposed at an angle tov the plane of the disk so as to assume a horizontal position at the top of the wheel. The rollersll 'of the wheels extend toward, each other and are disposed so that one rollerof each wheelfis adjacent and overlaps a roller of the othenwheel at the tops of said wheels;-v thereby supporting and preventing sagging of the track; cable 5 {which passes over the overlapping rollers.. Fixed intermediate their the side hanger members! are arched rails I8- The load is suspendedffrom andtrans'ported by one or more carriers 19,. each composed of a frame 20 having a central grooved wheel 2| journaled in the lower. portion thereof and adapted torun on the track cable 5,.and smaller grooved wheels 22 journaled at opposite sides of the upper portion of frame 20 andvadapted to coact with the rails it when the carrier passes through the hanger. The frame 20 extendsbelow the wheel 2| and contacts the upperroller I l of one supporting Wheel 14 so asfto cause'the wheels I4 to turn as the carrier passes through the hanger until the succeeding rollers ll of the wheels I4 are moved into adjacent overlapping relation at the tops of said Wheels 114 in :upporting relation to the track cab1e'5 Asth wheels turn, they offer little resistance to -itravehof the carrier through the hanger. -Also,=when thecarrier passes through the hanger, the wheels 22 ride up the inclines of the rails, l8 so as to relieve the track cable 5 and wheels M of most of the load and thereby prevent said cable 5 from sagging unduly.

In order to prevent side sway of the carrier and the load at places between hangers, as well as to assist cable in sustaining the load, a pair of supplemental track cables 23 may be supported above and at opposite sides of the track cable 5 in position to have the Wheels 22 to run thereon. When these cables 23 are used, they may be passed over and secured on the rails is at the highest points of the latter, as at 24. Other arrangements are possible, such as using only one central rail 38 directly above cable 5fone cable 23 passing over said one rail, and only one wheel 22 directly over wheel 2| to ride on said one rail andsaid one cable. The usual operating lines 25 are attached to the carrier and adapted to be operated by suitable power machinery as usual to effect hauling of the load.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and efficient device for supporting the track cable or cables of a cableway at intermediate points, that the device will be subject to a minimum of wear so as to be long-lasting, and thatsaid device will offer li tle imped m nt ol r e of the. ca r er.-

Having described the invention, what is ai d. a ne An interm ate tra k; a e h er for cableways comprising an inverted substantially hap fr me wanted o spaced Side me ers @131 a c nn ct n 2 m m r e lower en or o aid'si sm mbers ei nclined in downwardly diverging relation, means at the top of said frame for cennecting it to suspension cables, and inclined track cable supporting wheels journaled on and disposed at the inner sides of said l wer end portions of the Side, member in downwardly diverging relation with confronting id s aid wh fhai insunifonnly spaced peripheral'rollers on the confrontin sides there-, of disposed at such, oblique angles to said wheels that adjacent rollers of'said wheels will assume a horizontal overlapping relation under and in supporting relation to a track cable atthetops or said whee s 2. An intermediate track cable hanger for cableways, comprising an inverted substantially L l-shaped frame composed of spaced side meme bers and a connecting top member, the lower end portions of said side members being inclined in downwardly diverging relation, means at the top of said frame for connecting it to suspension cables, inclined tracl: cable supporting wheels journaledon and disposed at the inner sides of said lower end portions of the side members in downwardly diverging relation with confronting sides, said wheelshavin uniformly spaced pee ripheral rollers on the confronting sides thereof disposed at such oblique angles to said wheels that adjacent rollers of said wheels will assume a horizontal overlapping relation under and in supporting relation to a track cable at the tops of said wheels, and an arched track rail rigidly mounted intermediate its ends on the inner side of the upper portion of each of said side members.

3. An intermediate track cable hanger for cableways, comprising an inverted substantially U-shaped frame compcsed of spaced side members and a connecting' top member, thelowerend,

portions of said sidemembers being inclined in downwardly diverging relation, means at the top of said frame for connecting it to suspension cables, inclined track cable supporting wheels journaled on and disposed at the inner sides of said lower end portions of the side members in downwardly diverging relation with confronting sides, said wheels having uniformly spaced peripheral rollers on the confronting sides thereof disposed at such oblique angles to said wheels that adjacent rollers of said wheels will assume a horizontal overlapping relation under and in supporting relation to a track cable at the tops of said wheels, a pair of arched track rails rigidly nicunted within said frame in oppositely spaced relation above said wheels, and means to secure supplemental track cables on said track rails intermediate the ends of the latter.

4. An intermediate track cable hanger for cableways, comprising an inverted substantially U -shaped frame composed of spaced side members and a connecting top member, the lower end portions of said side members being inclined in downwardly diver ing relation, means at the top of said frame for connecting it to suspension cables, inclined track cables supporting wheels journaled on and disposed at the inner sides of said lower end portions of the side members in downwardly diverging relation with confronting sides, said wheels having uniformly spaced peripheral rollers on the confronting sides thereof disposed at such oblique angles to said wheels that adjacent rollers of Said wheels Will assume a horizontal overlapping'relation under and in supporting relation to a track cable at the tops of said wheels, an arched track rail rigidly mounted intermediate its ends on the inner side of the upper portion of each of said side members, and means to secure a supplemental track cable on each of said track rails intermediate the ends of the latter.

5. An intermediate track cable hanger for cableways, comprising a frame, means at the top of said frame for connecting it tosuspension cables, and downwardly diverging track cable supporting wheels rotatably carried by said frame with confronting sides and having uniformly spaced peripheral rollers on the confronting sides thereof disposed at such oblique angles to said wheels that adjacent rollers of said wheels will assume a horizontal overlapping relation under and in supporting relation to a track cable at the tops of said wheels.

6. An intermediate track cable hanger for cableways, comprising a frame, means at the top of said frame for connecting it to suspension cables, and downwardly diverging track cable supporting wheels rotatably carried by said frame with confronting sides and having uni formly spaced'per'ipheral rollers on the confronting sides thereof disposed at such oblique angles to said wheels that adjacent rollers of said wheels will assume a horizontal overlapping relation under and in supporting relation to a track cable at the tops of said wheels, and a pair of arched tracks rigidly mounted intermediate the ends thereof within the frame in laterally spaced opposite relation above said wheels;

' FELIX I. STEWART.

No references cited, 

